A Slip of the Hand

Chapter 25

Oliver takes my hand before we step out of the restaurant. "Showtime," he says, and his painted on smile doesn't mask his rueful tone.

The doors open, and I see several cameras pointed at us. My mouth pulls into a smile, seemingly an automatic reaction, before I'm temporarily blinded by flashes.

"Oliver!"

"Oliver, over here!"

We're greeted by a cacophony of competing voices.

"Oliver, who are you with?"

"What's your name?"

I look at Oliver as he pulls me forward.

"You don't have to answer," he says as he quickly ushers me into his waiting car, a black custom Porsche.

We catch our breaths for a moment before he says, "I know we didn't really talk about it, but how about a nightcap?"

Oliver touches my knee, and I can tell he's resisting the urge to climb higher.

"I..." I begin, but my head is swimming. All I can think about is how I still feel ravaged by Daniel. How I thought I was having dinner with him. How I excited and terrified and overjoyed and disappointed I was to see Oliver instead. How inviting his lips look and how thrilling it is to know that he wants me.

"Are you still frightened of me?" he asks, no doubt noticing my wide-eyed look.

"Yeah, I think I am," I manage.

He leans over and kisses me, gently at first, but with increasing urgency. His mouth melds expertly with mine, and I feel myself getting lost in the kiss before a wave of icy-hot nausea hits me: I just fucked his best friend! Twice.

I turn away with a gasp, resting my cheek against his to steady myself as my hand grips the back of his head. "I'm so overwhelmed," I tell him without loosening my grip.

"In a good way or a bad way?"

"Both."

"We can take it slow."

The memory of Daniel's taste still lingers on my tongue, and yet here is Oliver Rose, my idol, offering himself up in whatever way I'll have him. I don't have the strength to say no. I don't want to say no. But... "I think I should tell you that... I'm sort of entangled with someone."

"You can't be too entangled if you're here with me now." His voice is low and confident, but if he knew how red my ass is from Daniel's firm swats, he might not be so calm.

"No..." I admit. "It's still really new. But I wanted to get that out there."

"Thank you," he says, pulling back to look at me. "I mean it. A lot of girls assume I don't care about that stuff because of who I am. But while I don't mind a little competition, I like to know when there is competition."

"What about you? Are you seeing anyone else?"

"No one in particular," Oliver says. "At the risk of sounding like a complete and utter douche, it's easy to find someone to entertain me for the night when I'm looking for it. But I'm not always looking for it."

"Is that what you were hoping for with me?"

His pointed face pulls into a boyish grin. "Of course I'd love to spend the night with you, Madison." Oliver's long hand caresses my cheek. "But I'm not in a rush. I enjoy getting to know you, too."

Photographers queue around Oliver's Porsche. "I'll take you wherever you want to go," he says as he puts the car in gear and drives off.